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2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Nick Castellanos’ 2025 season was a difficult final chapter in Philadelphia, marked by a steady decline in power and a public fracture in his relationship with the organization. Appearing in 147 games, Castellanos slashed .250/.294/.400 with 17 home runs and 72 RBI—his lowest OPS+ (88) and home run total in a full season since 2015. While he remained durable, his underlying metrics (bottom 3rd percentile in chase rate) and reported clashes with manager Rob Thomson made him a "change of scenery" candidate. After the Phillies failed to find a trade partner this winter, they took the extraordinary step of releasing him on February 12, 2026, despite owing him $20 million.

The 33-year-old wasted no time finding a new home, signing a one-year, league-minimum contract ($780,000) with the San Diego Padres on February 14, 2026. Unlike his Padres teammates Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., Castellanos declined a spot in the 2026 World Baseball Classic to focus entirely on a "fresh start" in Peoria. He is currently the focal point of the Padres' spring camp as he undergoes a full-time transition to First Base.

For fantasy managers, Castellanos is a classic "post-hype veteran" with an ADP around 294.